I've gotten spoiled with my bandscope (LP-Pan) and want to keep this when I purchase a new radio but.......it does not look like the new radios within my budget (up to 15-1600) have IF-out....- Kenwood...nada- Icom...nada- Yeasu...yes but too pricy..($2500)Or did I overlook something?Surely others are using newer rigs combined with a bandscope?

Part of the problem is the migration to IF DSP rigs. The narrow bandwidth low frequency IF does not lend itself to readily. It require additional circuitry that is not needed otherwise to properly support a PAN output and that adds $$$ to cost.

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--------------------------------------Ham since 1969.... Old School 20wpm REAL Extra Class..

Excactly...I looked at the K3....that's over budget for me.Perhaps I should look for "older" (~5-6yrs?) radios as it looks like the new stuff is out of reach.Would like one with DSP and IF out though...

The Ten-Tec Eagle has a 9 MHz IF output that will work with the LP-Pan by changing the crystal. The earliest production run models did not come with a rear-panel jack connection alreay installed but I think it can be added without too much trouble. Used Eagles show up for sale occasionally in your target price range.

Other possible Ten-Tec choices in that range are the Orion and Omni-VI/VI+, which also use 9 MHz as the 1st IF. They did not come with an IF output, but it can be added by installing a Clifton Laboratories buffer amp. He also makes one for the Elecraft K2. Installing the amp is fairly easy on the Omni-VI by splicing into an internal coax jumper, but it is not an IF-DSP type of rig. Installing one on an Orion is a bit more difficult due to having to desolder and remove a shield that covers the tap point. Check out VE7TK's website for more info about the Orion/Orion 2 mod.

Another route to take with an Orion is to add the RX-366 subreceiver board which already has a 9 MHz IF tap installed. The RX-366 is not exactly cheap, though.....

I have tried this on both an Omni-VI and Orion 2, and it works great with the LP-Pan.

The new Ten-Tec Argonaut VI also has the IF output, but it is QRP only and lacks a few other features. (no 12 or 60 meter coverage, no internal antenna tuner) It plus the companion external 100 watt amp is just above your price range.

The IF output is not mentioned or shown in the Eagle's manual. However, if you look at the photo of the back panel on Ten-Tec's website, you will see a RCA jack labeled AUX1 that is not shown in the manual. This is the IF output. If you look for a used Eagle, be sure to ask if it has the jack. I'm not sure when it was added, but any Eagle made within the last year or so should have it.

The Eagle should work fine with the LP-Pan after changing the crystal, although inserting a buffer amp between them would not hurt. There are some software issues to work around if you desire full rig control from the panadapter software since none of the programs I'm aware of communicate directly with Ten-Tec radios. N4PY or Ham Radio Deluxe will translate rig control commands to a different protocol to make it work. With my Orion 2, I'm using HRD along with VSP MGR, LBP2, NaP3, and CW Skimmer. This setup works well for point-and-click selection of CW signals. If you are primarily a phone op, software setup is not quite as critical, but it is still nice to be able to click on signals on the panadapter display and have your rig go there.

The K3 was over budget for me too, but the KX3 was not, and it has almost as good a receiver and a 192 khz IQ output that can be used with any SDR software on a PC. I am not a QRP purist, so in a couple of months, Electraft is expected to have a 100 W amplifier for it. It will have a built in tuner. I faced the same issue you are in trying to find the successor to my Icom 7000. None of the big manufacturer rigs had suitable SDR capability. The Flex line had no knobs. The K3 was too expensive. The KX3 was a good compromise, and when I get the 100 w amp I expect it will be a good base and portable rig for me for the next ten years like my Icom 7000 was. The price of the KX3 and the anticipated price of the amp was reasonable. I am very happy so far, but there is a learning curve with all the features of the KX3 that I am going through. So far I find it to be exceptional, and a good decision based upon my desire to have panadapter capability in some way with my new rig.

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